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They have arrived! Now in my basement awaiting their deposit into new hive. Two questions-it is windy today (but warm 70's). I will wait til this evening to hive, but if it is still windy would this be a bad time to do it? I hate to keep them in their box for another 24 hrs. Next question-I have sucrocide and am debating whether to spray em while they are in the shipping crate (bees came from Wilbanks-so I feel they are mite free) or should I treat for the first time later in the season. Forgive me if this has been asked and answered before. Maybe it'll sink in if I read it again. Thanks so much. I love this forum. I read it everyday and have learned so much. Now that my bees are here I am sure to utilize it even more.

&gt;Two questions-it is windy today (but warm 70's). I will wait til this evening to hive, but if it is still windy would this be a bad time to do it?

How windy? 10 mph is fine. 40 is not fine.

&gt;I hate to keep them in their box for another 24 hrs.

Just feed them and you can keep them in the box for several days. either refill the can or put syrup on the screen until they quit taking it. If you do the screen method feed them at least twice a day.

&gt;Next question-I have sucrocide and am debating whether to spray em while they are in the shipping crate (bees came from Wilbanks-so I feel they are mite free) or should I treat for the first time later in the season.

If that's your plan I would treat them now. It will be easier than spraying every comb later. You can spray until all of the bees on the edges are wet and then wait a while and repeat. Do this a few times until you think you've gotten all the bees damp (not too wet) with it. Bees can drown if you get way too much of anything liquid on them.

I doubt that any bees are mite free, although mine tested mite free, that just means there weren't any detactable mites.

Well, it was a less than stellar performance on the part of this new installer of pkg bees. They were kind to me despite my clumsiness. No stings. Had trouble getting the last 1/3 out of the box and the more I tried to shake em in, the more they all started to frantically fly all aound me and the hive. Left the box next to hive and hoped they would eventually follow the rest inside. This morning still quite a few are in crate but not as many. Those in the hive are sharing quarters with ants. The ants must have seen me fix up the sugar syrup in the house and watched as I placed in in the hive.
I guess the bees will kick them out? Would it be ok to put some ant control(not spray but something like roach "motel") at the base of each hive leg?

&gt;Had trouble getting the last 1/3 out of the box and the more I tried to shake em in, the more they all started to frantically fly all aound me and the hive.

Hit the box SHARPLY and all the bees will fall to the bottom then hit it sharply agan on the side and they will all fall to one end then shake them out. You can't shake them out if they are flying.

&gt;Left the box next to hive and hoped they would eventually follow the rest inside. This morning still quite a few are in crate but not as many.

That's the problem. If it was a cold night they might have died, but since it wasn't they will probably all find their way in today.

&gt;Those in the hive are sharing quarters with ants. The ants must have seen me fix up the sugar syrup in the house and watched as I placed in in the hive.
I guess the bees will kick them out? Would it be ok to put some ant control(not spray but something like roach "motel") at the base of each hive leg?

Try some Baking soda. Put it on the ant trail and they can't find their way there nore their way home. Boric acid works also but is more expensive.

I think leaving the pacakge inside the hive to work best. I don't even shake them out, just open the package in the hive after installed the queen, installing syrup feed and removing the feedcan. They'll all be out the next day clustered around the queen and they don't have to "find there way home" to do it.